RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy, such as chlorambucil and fludarabine, work in different ways to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping them from dividing. It is not yet known whether chlorambucil is more effective than fludarabine in treating Waldenström macroglobulinemia, splenic lymphoma, or lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma.

PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying chlorambucil to see how well it works compared with fludarabine as first-line therapy in treating patients with previously untreated Waldenström macroglobulinemia, splenic lymphoma, or lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma.

Prior plasmapheresis for control of clinically significant hyperviscosity allowed

Prior splenectomy for SLVL allowed

Contacts and Locations

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To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below.
For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.

Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00608374